I don’t see these two things as totally antithetical to one another. Well, I don’t know about the term “micromanage,” but you can certainly make plans before you go, as long as you’re willing to adapt, because as Monika says, things are always different than what you assume.

I think researching and planning a new adventure is part of the fun. And then throwing away that plan is even more fun. 🙂

Same! I’m a hugely dorky planner, it’s part of what I love about travel — that you are planning all this stuff yourself vs going on a 1-click and done excursion or something. It makes me anticipate my next trip.

I also love that feeling of being able to change my mind, throw away my plan, and do something else. Like “I thought I might want to go to a museum today, but turns out I found a lovely bakery and stumbled into a random conversation, and now I’m going to go to the other side of town, and wander about.”

I read, research, plan, and re-plan my solo trips. Then when I’m where I want to be: I talk, I visit, I walk, I discover, and add plans to the plans. Since I don’t find pre-planning laborious I make small folios of places to see, ideas of activities and then have the joy of discovery when I’m there. And the joy is in the doing of what I planned, and the un-doing.

As I get older I’m understanding that time does have meaning and value, and yes it is finite. I’m a frugal person and so I don’t like to waste anything. Every day of a trip, vacation or journey may not be a “peak” experience, but they’re all precious treasures to carry home.

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We better understand ourselves and others when we leave home to experience the world firsthand. Independent travel is a departure from routine -- an opportunity to learn, have fun and embrace life in novel environments and cultures.

-Indie travel is about replacing broad expectations with nuanced realities.
-Indie travel is about seeing yourself in the context of a rich and complex world.
-Indie travel is about defining your values, exploring your beliefs, and crafting your own meaning for life.

Indie travelers value...
-Options over possessions
-Dynamic possibilities over static goals
-Discovery over escape
-Interactions over transactions
-Local information over received information
-First-hand experience over expert opinions
-Mental and spiritual growth as much as physical adventure
-Private transformation over social status and bragging rights
-The present moment over dreams of past and future

Indie travelers do...
-Pack light and keep things simple
-Adapt as they go rather than micromanage in advance
-Practice caution, but not paranoia
-Know how to slow down and enjoy an experience
-Seek pleasure in simple moments and details
-Make meaningful connections and informed decisions
-Learn the economic, political and environmental context of their host culture
-Emphasize listening more than talking
-Practice courtesy, patience, humility, and good humor
-Seek to understand -- not judge or romanticize -- other cultures
-Give back to the local economy
-Share what they’ve learned with others